Today we went to Blarney Castle, and Stephanie and Donald bravely kissed the Blarney Stone! So, now they are both blessed with eloquence! Unknown to myself, the Blarney Stone rests at the TOP of the castle - and those of you that know me, know that heights do not sit well with me. I fought my own battle however and made it to the top of the castle! But when I realized, you had to lie down on your back (held by someone whose job it is to hold people), go a bit over the edge of the castle railing in order to kiss the stone, my life flashed before my eyes faster than it does when driving on these roads, and I decided I needed to get down quickly. So, blessed as Stephanie is now with eloquence...she will finish the work of the blog! (Just kidding!) Though eloquent Stephanie wanted me to write that she is the reigning champion of Hearts!
Tomorrow, we are sad to leave beautiful Kinsale, but excited to travel to Ennis. A travel day tomorrow...then the Cliffs of Moor on Tuesday!
Noel
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Confluence
Yesterday, my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather held my hand as I walked around the Cobh (pronounced Cove) Heritage Center. The Heritage Center in Cobh (the town has known many names, Cove – until 1847, Queenstown –from 1847 -1920 then the Irish name for Cove – Cobh since 1920) is housed in the same building that was the Port of Call for emigrants leaving Ireland since the early 1800’s. This port became the Famine Irishman’s escape to America. But Cobh remained an important departure point for Irishmen through 1950. In fact, between 1848-1950 2.5 million of the 6 million who emigrated from Ireland left from Cobh. My two Great Grandparents left Ireland from Cobh around the late 1890’s. They traveled separately, and met each other in Albany, NY. As we were driving in to Cobh, I couldn’t help but wonder…did my Great Grandparents see the same ancient wall that I was looking at? Did they see the same trees, some of the same buildings? Upon getting out of the car, and looking over the water landscape, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that they too had seen the same seascape. When I walked through the Heritage doors and down the hall, I smiled, thinking, they too walked through these doors and down these halls. Did the thought ever cross their minds that generations later, someone from their family, from the United States, would be walking in their footsteps? What hopes and fears did they harbor upon entering Cobh and seeing the massive Ocean Liners?
I know that my Great Grandmother, Anna Foley, traveled alone. She was around 14 or 15 when she left Ireland. Was she scared, or was she so determined to change her lifestyle, like my grandmother always said, that fear never crossed her mind? My Great Grandfather, John Farry, traveled with his brother. I believe he was around 19. Did they go to the United States seeking adventure? Emigration during the Great Famine was usually a last resort. And most emigrants went to Canada or Australia. Their landlords sent some to Canada because they couldn’t pay the rent, and yet their landlords sent some to Canada, because they (the landlords) knew the majority of the people wouldn’t survive the trip. We learned from Terri, the curator of the Skibbereen Heritage Center, that some Famine Irishmen would intentionally commit crimes, so that they would be sent to Australia, a common punishment for criminals of the time. The food on the ships was better than the food in the workhouses. However, as in the case of my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather, many emigrants following the Great Famine, made the choice to emigrate.
Yesterday, we learned that those that chose to emigrate did so for the following reasons: brighter future elsewhere, lure of a better life, land, encouragement from former immigrants and hopes for riches and success. Anna left Ireland because her sister was already in New York and she was looking to elevate herself above the farm life she was leaving. John too left for a brighter future and better life. Though I don’t know if they left Ireland in the hopes of striking it rich, they found each other in New York, and successfully raised a family.
Yesterday I met my Great Grandparents at the confluence of the past and present at the Cobh Heritage Center and we spent the afternoon together in each other’s company.
Note: As in the Skibbereen Heritage Center, we were asked not to post pictures from inside the Cobh Heritage Center Museum on the web. The pictures we did take can be used for the classroom. Pictures posted are those outside the museum.
Noel
I know that my Great Grandmother, Anna Foley, traveled alone. She was around 14 or 15 when she left Ireland. Was she scared, or was she so determined to change her lifestyle, like my grandmother always said, that fear never crossed her mind? My Great Grandfather, John Farry, traveled with his brother. I believe he was around 19. Did they go to the United States seeking adventure? Emigration during the Great Famine was usually a last resort. And most emigrants went to Canada or Australia. Their landlords sent some to Canada because they couldn’t pay the rent, and yet their landlords sent some to Canada, because they (the landlords) knew the majority of the people wouldn’t survive the trip. We learned from Terri, the curator of the Skibbereen Heritage Center, that some Famine Irishmen would intentionally commit crimes, so that they would be sent to Australia, a common punishment for criminals of the time. The food on the ships was better than the food in the workhouses. However, as in the case of my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather, many emigrants following the Great Famine, made the choice to emigrate.
Yesterday, we learned that those that chose to emigrate did so for the following reasons: brighter future elsewhere, lure of a better life, land, encouragement from former immigrants and hopes for riches and success. Anna left Ireland because her sister was already in New York and she was looking to elevate herself above the farm life she was leaving. John too left for a brighter future and better life. Though I don’t know if they left Ireland in the hopes of striking it rich, they found each other in New York, and successfully raised a family.
Yesterday I met my Great Grandparents at the confluence of the past and present at the Cobh Heritage Center and we spent the afternoon together in each other’s company.
Note: As in the Skibbereen Heritage Center, we were asked not to post pictures from inside the Cobh Heritage Center Museum on the web. The pictures we did take can be used for the classroom. Pictures posted are those outside the museum.
Noel
Trivia Pursuit…anyone?
Visiting the Cobh Heritage Centre reinforced many of the key facts of the immigrant experience that we teach about, and it was a confirmation that what we are teaching is an interesting and compelling topic. Watching Noel along with many other people researching their own family heritage was inspiring. Humans have a deep desire to know who they are and where they come from. The Cobh Heritage Centre has unique genealogical services to help people trace their heritage. I am not Irish but today I wanted to be. This museum was packed with so much information that I soaked it in and know that someday I will recall this information for not only our students but for my family’s trivia pursuit games.
Some highlights for me today:
-Standing in the spot where Annie Moore and other immigrants boarded an ocean liner made me think about how scared and unsure of the future those emigrating must of felt. Annie Moore was the first immigrant ever to be processed in Ellis Island when it opened in 1892.
-The United States wasn’t the only destination for immigrants. Canada, Argentina, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand, were other places that immigrants sought a better life in.
-“Convict” ships sailed out of Cobh carrying men and women who had been sentenced for crimes ranging from small crimes to murder. Sending criminals out of the country to other places (like Australia) that needed labor seemed to be an ideal way for authorities to get rid of “undesirable” members of society.
-The Lusitania was an ocean liner traveling from New York to Liverpool when a German torpedo struck it during World War One. The ship sank 10 miles off of coast of Ireland. 1,198 people lost their lives in this attack. I had never even heard of the Lusitania before visiting here.
-The Titanic’s last stop before sailing on out into the Atlantic Ocean was in Queenstown (Cobh). A total of 123 passengers boarded the Titanic in Cobh (3 first class, 7 second class, and the remainder in third class) many of these people would not survive her maiden voyage.
-The town of Cobh has had three names: Cobh, Cove, and Queenstown
-The current town of Cobh has a park named after John F. Kennedy.
-I may be able to answer more trivia pursuit questions now when I play against my dad.
Stephanie
Some highlights for me today:
-Standing in the spot where Annie Moore and other immigrants boarded an ocean liner made me think about how scared and unsure of the future those emigrating must of felt. Annie Moore was the first immigrant ever to be processed in Ellis Island when it opened in 1892.
-The United States wasn’t the only destination for immigrants. Canada, Argentina, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand, were other places that immigrants sought a better life in.
-“Convict” ships sailed out of Cobh carrying men and women who had been sentenced for crimes ranging from small crimes to murder. Sending criminals out of the country to other places (like Australia) that needed labor seemed to be an ideal way for authorities to get rid of “undesirable” members of society.
-The Lusitania was an ocean liner traveling from New York to Liverpool when a German torpedo struck it during World War One. The ship sank 10 miles off of coast of Ireland. 1,198 people lost their lives in this attack. I had never even heard of the Lusitania before visiting here.
-The Titanic’s last stop before sailing on out into the Atlantic Ocean was in Queenstown (Cobh). A total of 123 passengers boarded the Titanic in Cobh (3 first class, 7 second class, and the remainder in third class) many of these people would not survive her maiden voyage.
-The town of Cobh has had three names: Cobh, Cove, and Queenstown
-The current town of Cobh has a park named after John F. Kennedy.
-I may be able to answer more trivia pursuit questions now when I play against my dad.
Stephanie
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Walking In the Past
Yesterday, we went to Skibbereen, one of the worst effected areas during the Great Famine. As we pulled in, it was hard for me to imagine an Irish town of 1840. There were bustling storefronts, tiny, packed, busy roads and brightly painted houses. This town looked as much alive as any other Irish town we have passed through. After a harrowing drive through town (OK, I can’t NOT talk about the road system here…one needs to pray to both Saint Christopher (the Patron Saint of Travel) and Saint Jude (the Patron Saint of Impossible Things) to ensure safe travels on the road system here), in which several times, lives – within the car and pedestrians, – were in question), we made it safely to a car park (a parking lot). Our destination was the Skibbereen Heritage Center, home to The Great Famine Commemoration Exhibition.
We walked through the Exhibit. Read the displays, and listened to the audio-visuals. But the majority of our learning came from listening to an employee and the curator of the Heritage Center. While going through the exhibit, much of what we already knew was confirmed…most Irish people of the time lived in extreme poverty; many people died more as a result of disease than anything else; and the population of Ireland declined rapidly due to the famine, either because of death, or immigration. Once again, we found the power of learning in listening to the experts, who had insight on the Great Famine not listed in the exhibition. From Margaret, the employee, we learned that a professor in the United States has been able to trace the blight DNA to South America. So the blight traveled from South America, to North America, to Europe then finally to Ireland. We learned from Margaret that real research into the Great Famine did not start until around 1950. Up until 1950, people were angry, wounded and couldn’t move past the “blame game.” The Famine was too “recent,” too “real” to really explore. For the first time, in the 1950’s, people were able to look at the Great Famine without playing the “blame game…” people began to look at what happened with an objective eye. The exhibition, and Margaret, both struck a cord with me. Margaret talked about how the famine was caused by a natural disaster, from an airborne blight. It was the response of the British Government, and the response of world governments, and the Laissez-Faire attitude of the political time period, that intensified and ratcheted up the stakes of the blight. And then she said, “Could they (the British and the world) have done more? Yes…” This statement brought me back to a part of the exhibit; it compares the current famine in Sudan to the Great Famine…stating that the famine in Sudan is the Irish skeletons of the Great Famine in black skin. And Margaret voiced what I was thinking, “Can we do more (for famine struck countries)? Yes.”
The curator of the exhibit, Terri, was a wealth of knowledge. And from her, I have started to answer the guiding question “Why does prejudice exist?” Throughout our research in Ireland, there was a question nagging at my core – “Why did the British seem to hate, yes hate, the Irish with such vigor?” To me, it seems that the British truly went out of their way to demoralize and keep the Irish at the bottom of the social ladder. Terri offered some insight. By the 1830’s, Great Britain was deeply entrenched in the Industrial Revolution. The average citizen in Great Britain was working 12-hour days, six days a week, many in poor factory-working conditions. During this time in Ireland, life was more laid back. The Industrial Revolution had not put its hand on Irish shores, and therefore, most people were still potato farming. Though work during the planting and harvesting season was extensive and difficult, this season did not last long. So to an outsider, it looked like the Irish had a lot of time on their hands. Which, to an extent, they did. The Irish filled their time bonding as a community with dance, story telling, drinking and playing music. This was very much a part of their culture. They worked hard, and some even migrated to other parts of Ireland for work when it wasn’t the potato season. But this was unknown to the Englishman. To the 12 hour working Englishman, working in a dangerous factory, the Irishman looked lazy. And from this, we see the seeds of hatred planted and prosper. The image of the drunk, fat, lazy, poor Irishman can trace some of their roots to these English perceptions. And these images traveled around Europe and to the United States. I have started to learn that the world was more interconnected during this time period then I believed. Another example of countries depending on other countries is the fact that for the first two years of the Famine, governments sent aid to Ireland, however, during 1847, the world began to feel “Famine Fatigue”- they were “tired” of hearing about Ireland…and so they stopped the aid…and this proved to be devastating to the people of Ireland, who would not see “the end of the tunnel” until after 1850.
Last, Terri gave us some primary documents, not included in the exhibition. These documents are first hand accounts of the famine from people who visited Ireland in 1847. As we began the historical walking tour of the Great Famine in Skibbereen, we retraced the steps of Elihu Burritt, and American who kept a journal – as we walked the trail, we read his journal, visiting the same places he wrote about. When we stopped at the Soup House (still in existence today, but in a dilapidated state), we read his journal “The soup house was surrounded by a cloud of these famine scepters, half naked, and standing or sitting in the mud, beneath a cold drizzling rain. The narrow defile to the dispensary bar was choked with young and old of both sexes, struggling forward with their rusty tin and iron vessels for soup, some of them upon all fours, like famished beasts.” And as we walked up Bridge Street, one of the poorest areas in Skibbereen during the famine, we read again his words: “As we continued our walk along this filthy lane, half naked women and children would come out of their cabins, apparently in the last stage of fever and beg for food…”
Today, the Great Famine was brought into color as we walked in the past.
Noel
Please Note: The Heritage Center allowed us to take pictures of their exhibits for classroom use only; they asked us not to post these pictures on websites. Therefore, pictures you see today are ones that we took outside the Heritage Center.
We walked through the Exhibit. Read the displays, and listened to the audio-visuals. But the majority of our learning came from listening to an employee and the curator of the Heritage Center. While going through the exhibit, much of what we already knew was confirmed…most Irish people of the time lived in extreme poverty; many people died more as a result of disease than anything else; and the population of Ireland declined rapidly due to the famine, either because of death, or immigration. Once again, we found the power of learning in listening to the experts, who had insight on the Great Famine not listed in the exhibition. From Margaret, the employee, we learned that a professor in the United States has been able to trace the blight DNA to South America. So the blight traveled from South America, to North America, to Europe then finally to Ireland. We learned from Margaret that real research into the Great Famine did not start until around 1950. Up until 1950, people were angry, wounded and couldn’t move past the “blame game.” The Famine was too “recent,” too “real” to really explore. For the first time, in the 1950’s, people were able to look at the Great Famine without playing the “blame game…” people began to look at what happened with an objective eye. The exhibition, and Margaret, both struck a cord with me. Margaret talked about how the famine was caused by a natural disaster, from an airborne blight. It was the response of the British Government, and the response of world governments, and the Laissez-Faire attitude of the political time period, that intensified and ratcheted up the stakes of the blight. And then she said, “Could they (the British and the world) have done more? Yes…” This statement brought me back to a part of the exhibit; it compares the current famine in Sudan to the Great Famine…stating that the famine in Sudan is the Irish skeletons of the Great Famine in black skin. And Margaret voiced what I was thinking, “Can we do more (for famine struck countries)? Yes.”
The curator of the exhibit, Terri, was a wealth of knowledge. And from her, I have started to answer the guiding question “Why does prejudice exist?” Throughout our research in Ireland, there was a question nagging at my core – “Why did the British seem to hate, yes hate, the Irish with such vigor?” To me, it seems that the British truly went out of their way to demoralize and keep the Irish at the bottom of the social ladder. Terri offered some insight. By the 1830’s, Great Britain was deeply entrenched in the Industrial Revolution. The average citizen in Great Britain was working 12-hour days, six days a week, many in poor factory-working conditions. During this time in Ireland, life was more laid back. The Industrial Revolution had not put its hand on Irish shores, and therefore, most people were still potato farming. Though work during the planting and harvesting season was extensive and difficult, this season did not last long. So to an outsider, it looked like the Irish had a lot of time on their hands. Which, to an extent, they did. The Irish filled their time bonding as a community with dance, story telling, drinking and playing music. This was very much a part of their culture. They worked hard, and some even migrated to other parts of Ireland for work when it wasn’t the potato season. But this was unknown to the Englishman. To the 12 hour working Englishman, working in a dangerous factory, the Irishman looked lazy. And from this, we see the seeds of hatred planted and prosper. The image of the drunk, fat, lazy, poor Irishman can trace some of their roots to these English perceptions. And these images traveled around Europe and to the United States. I have started to learn that the world was more interconnected during this time period then I believed. Another example of countries depending on other countries is the fact that for the first two years of the Famine, governments sent aid to Ireland, however, during 1847, the world began to feel “Famine Fatigue”- they were “tired” of hearing about Ireland…and so they stopped the aid…and this proved to be devastating to the people of Ireland, who would not see “the end of the tunnel” until after 1850.
Last, Terri gave us some primary documents, not included in the exhibition. These documents are first hand accounts of the famine from people who visited Ireland in 1847. As we began the historical walking tour of the Great Famine in Skibbereen, we retraced the steps of Elihu Burritt, and American who kept a journal – as we walked the trail, we read his journal, visiting the same places he wrote about. When we stopped at the Soup House (still in existence today, but in a dilapidated state), we read his journal “The soup house was surrounded by a cloud of these famine scepters, half naked, and standing or sitting in the mud, beneath a cold drizzling rain. The narrow defile to the dispensary bar was choked with young and old of both sexes, struggling forward with their rusty tin and iron vessels for soup, some of them upon all fours, like famished beasts.” And as we walked up Bridge Street, one of the poorest areas in Skibbereen during the famine, we read again his words: “As we continued our walk along this filthy lane, half naked women and children would come out of their cabins, apparently in the last stage of fever and beg for food…”
Today, the Great Famine was brought into color as we walked in the past.
Noel
Please Note: The Heritage Center allowed us to take pictures of their exhibits for classroom use only; they asked us not to post these pictures on websites. Therefore, pictures you see today are ones that we took outside the Heritage Center.
“Dear Old Skibbereen”
Today we visited the Skibbereen Heritage Centre in Skibbereen, Ireland where many historians believe was the epicenter of the potato famine. I have always been moved by this song and so my reflection today will be after each stanza of the song.
“Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erin’s Isle,
Her lofty scenes and valleys green, her mountains rude and wild.
They say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell,
Oh why did you abandon it? The reason to me tell."
The landscape of Ireland is majestic and beautiful. You never know what breathtaking sight you will see when you come around the corner. Each new town we go through holds something, new and different.
When visiting the Skibbereen Heritage Centre we were able to really delve into the potato famine. Some new learning for me included another possible answer to the line in the song “why did you abandon it?” While I know that the potato famine was a push factor for immigration I didn’t realize that the growing season of the potato was rather short compared to other crops. Due to this short season many farmers who work the potato fields had to travel inland into Ireland to find work harvesting other crops.
Could one reason the father abandoned Skibbereen was to look for work? The guides at the center reminded us that back in the days of the famine news did not travel quickly and it is quite possible that Skibereen along with other Irish towns may of felt that the blight had only hit their area and the farmers moved on to other parts of the country only to find that the blight had ravage the entire country.
"My son, I loved my native land with energy and pride,
‘Til a blight came over all my crops- my sheep and cattle died.
The rent and taxes were to pay, I could not them redeem,
And that’s another reason why I left old Skibbereen."
One of our guiding questions on this trip is to try and answer the question: Why does prejudice exist. Noel and I both were surprised that in today’s experience we may have added more knowledge to our schema on this question. It wasn’t an uncommon thought by the British that the Irish were lazy, because as potato farmer- once the crops had been planted and harvested the farmers had more time throughout the year to do other things. This down time could have been translated as “lazy” The English who were embarking on the industrial revolution- a shift in their own work habits looked down upon the Irish. This information crossed our minds as a possible reason that the English had some stereotypes of the Irish. We were able to buy a book at the gift shop that explores this theme more.
"Oh! Well do I remember that bleak December day,
The landlord and the sheriff came to drive us all away.
They set my roof on fire with their cursed English spleen,
And that’s another reason that I left old Skibbereen."
This verse in the song touches deeply on emotions- to be evicted is hard but on a December day and watching the place you called home burned down so no hopes of returning. Today one of the guides shared with us that it hasn’t been until recently that the Potato Famine has been something that more people are willing to talk about. As generations get father away from the tragedy they are more willing to investigate the many aspects of the famine rather than “pointing the finger of blame.”
"Your mother, too, God rest her soul, fell on the snowy ground,
She fainted in her anguish, seeing the desolation round,
She never rose, but passed away from life to mortal dream,
And found a quiet grave, my boy, in the Abbey near Skibbereen."
One powerful part of the day was a visit to the mass gravesite for unnamed famine victims. History whispered to us in the head stones and the quote that surround the site.
"And you were only two years old and feeble was your frame,
I could not leave you with my friends, you bore your father’s name.
I wrapped you in my cota mor at the dead of night unseen,
I heaved a sigh and bade good-bye to dear old Skibbereen."
During the famine many hard decisions had to be made and parents were forced to confront life and death questions such as if you only have a small portion of food- if that- who do you feed first? Do you take the portion? Does your husband? Do you feed your elderly mother? Small daughter? I can’t even allow my mind to think on these questions very long but makes me more grateful for the blessing that God has given my family and me.
"Oh! Father dear, the day may come when an answer to the call,
Each Irishmen, will feeling stern, will rally one and all.
I’ll be the man to lead the van beneath the flag of green,
When loud and high we’ll raise the cry- “Remember Skibbereen”.
The Skibbereen Famine Exhibition was a powerful way to remember the victims of the famine as they should be remembered. Famine occurs still today in our world and today made me think about that.
Stephanie
“Oh Father dear I often hear you speak of Erin’s Isle,
Her lofty scenes and valleys green, her mountains rude and wild.
They say it is a lovely land wherein a prince might dwell,
Oh why did you abandon it? The reason to me tell."
The landscape of Ireland is majestic and beautiful. You never know what breathtaking sight you will see when you come around the corner. Each new town we go through holds something, new and different.
When visiting the Skibbereen Heritage Centre we were able to really delve into the potato famine. Some new learning for me included another possible answer to the line in the song “why did you abandon it?” While I know that the potato famine was a push factor for immigration I didn’t realize that the growing season of the potato was rather short compared to other crops. Due to this short season many farmers who work the potato fields had to travel inland into Ireland to find work harvesting other crops.
Could one reason the father abandoned Skibbereen was to look for work? The guides at the center reminded us that back in the days of the famine news did not travel quickly and it is quite possible that Skibereen along with other Irish towns may of felt that the blight had only hit their area and the farmers moved on to other parts of the country only to find that the blight had ravage the entire country.
"My son, I loved my native land with energy and pride,
‘Til a blight came over all my crops- my sheep and cattle died.
The rent and taxes were to pay, I could not them redeem,
And that’s another reason why I left old Skibbereen."
One of our guiding questions on this trip is to try and answer the question: Why does prejudice exist. Noel and I both were surprised that in today’s experience we may have added more knowledge to our schema on this question. It wasn’t an uncommon thought by the British that the Irish were lazy, because as potato farmer- once the crops had been planted and harvested the farmers had more time throughout the year to do other things. This down time could have been translated as “lazy” The English who were embarking on the industrial revolution- a shift in their own work habits looked down upon the Irish. This information crossed our minds as a possible reason that the English had some stereotypes of the Irish. We were able to buy a book at the gift shop that explores this theme more.
"Oh! Well do I remember that bleak December day,
The landlord and the sheriff came to drive us all away.
They set my roof on fire with their cursed English spleen,
And that’s another reason that I left old Skibbereen."
This verse in the song touches deeply on emotions- to be evicted is hard but on a December day and watching the place you called home burned down so no hopes of returning. Today one of the guides shared with us that it hasn’t been until recently that the Potato Famine has been something that more people are willing to talk about. As generations get father away from the tragedy they are more willing to investigate the many aspects of the famine rather than “pointing the finger of blame.”
"Your mother, too, God rest her soul, fell on the snowy ground,
She fainted in her anguish, seeing the desolation round,
She never rose, but passed away from life to mortal dream,
And found a quiet grave, my boy, in the Abbey near Skibbereen."
One powerful part of the day was a visit to the mass gravesite for unnamed famine victims. History whispered to us in the head stones and the quote that surround the site.
"And you were only two years old and feeble was your frame,
I could not leave you with my friends, you bore your father’s name.
I wrapped you in my cota mor at the dead of night unseen,
I heaved a sigh and bade good-bye to dear old Skibbereen."
During the famine many hard decisions had to be made and parents were forced to confront life and death questions such as if you only have a small portion of food- if that- who do you feed first? Do you take the portion? Does your husband? Do you feed your elderly mother? Small daughter? I can’t even allow my mind to think on these questions very long but makes me more grateful for the blessing that God has given my family and me.
"Oh! Father dear, the day may come when an answer to the call,
Each Irishmen, will feeling stern, will rally one and all.
I’ll be the man to lead the van beneath the flag of green,
When loud and high we’ll raise the cry- “Remember Skibbereen”.
The Skibbereen Famine Exhibition was a powerful way to remember the victims of the famine as they should be remembered. Famine occurs still today in our world and today made me think about that.
Stephanie
Friday, June 11, 2010
Fairies do exist
Ireland is an ancient Island...everything about it seems mystical and magical... There is something about this Island that is special, and can't be replicated anywhere else. From how the clouds creep, climb and hover over a mountain top, to the rippling sea of tall green grass by the seaside - the oldness and magic of this land can be felt everywhere. When we were in Bonane Parish on Wednesday, we learned how fairies were consulted in all major decisions. When looking for a place to build a house, potential settlers set up a series of rocks in a triangular position, and left the rocks for 3 days. If the rocks were undisturbed, then the fairies were OK with you building a house there. Fairies were mischievous creatures that were to be taken seriously.
There are sacred Druid areas around Bonane...I am sure around all of Ireland. Intertwined with the Druid religion and the Fairy world, it is believed that sites were chosen based on the consent of the fairies. They were sacred ground. But during the famine, even sacred ground was desecrated. You will see a picture of a Ring Fort, which was sacred ground for centuries. In this Ring Fort, that was to be protected by Fairies, you will see the remains of a potato field in the middle of the field. Despair overtook some townsfolk and they tilled the ground in the hopes that the blight wouldn't touch the potatoes in the sacred ring...that was not to be the case.
Back in Kinsale last night, we took a Ghost Tour of the town. Though the tour was a satirical view on tragic events in the past that explain certain ghosts of the town, deeply embedded in this tour was the respect for the stories and legends of the past.
Walking the streets, beaches, ancient structures and homes, you get the feeling that you are not alone here...people and fairies of the past walk with you. And their presence enhances your experience.
Noel
There are sacred Druid areas around Bonane...I am sure around all of Ireland. Intertwined with the Druid religion and the Fairy world, it is believed that sites were chosen based on the consent of the fairies. They were sacred ground. But during the famine, even sacred ground was desecrated. You will see a picture of a Ring Fort, which was sacred ground for centuries. In this Ring Fort, that was to be protected by Fairies, you will see the remains of a potato field in the middle of the field. Despair overtook some townsfolk and they tilled the ground in the hopes that the blight wouldn't touch the potatoes in the sacred ring...that was not to be the case.
Back in Kinsale last night, we took a Ghost Tour of the town. Though the tour was a satirical view on tragic events in the past that explain certain ghosts of the town, deeply embedded in this tour was the respect for the stories and legends of the past.
Walking the streets, beaches, ancient structures and homes, you get the feeling that you are not alone here...people and fairies of the past walk with you. And their presence enhances your experience.
Noel
A Little Q & A
A few questions I couldn’t answer as a teacher and now I can because of this trip:
#1. In Ireland’s mythology- what is the difference between a “shee” and a “banshee”? A “shee” is an evil fairy and should be feared while a “banshee” is the “queen bee” over all the fairies and she should terrify you as she wails before someone is about to die.
#2. Where did the sayings “he is a dead ringer “ or “saved by the bell”? These sayings trace back to a time in history when people where mistakenly buried alive and being afraid of burying a person alive- a small rope was buried with the dead and then the rope was attached to a bell above the gravestone so if some poor soul was buried alive they could grab the rope and ring the bell.
#3. Why would an Irishman sign up to become a soldier in the British army especially knowing the hard feelings that existed between the two countries? Many Irishman were left no choice during and after the potato famine, as they needed a job to survive. The British army also changed their rules and allowed Catholics to serve in the military, as they needed more men.
#4. Name one country that has been an alley for Ireland? Spain. At one point the Spanish came to help defend the Irish port city of Kinsale. The Spanish fought side by side the Irish.
#5. What is the significance of the name-WORKHOUSE, which was for the poor, starving men and women during the famine? Many of the wealthy and people in power felt that if the poor received a hand-out they would always be expecting a hand out and not work. At workhouses the poor would often be given jobs like building roads or walls around graveyards.
#1. In Ireland’s mythology- what is the difference between a “shee” and a “banshee”? A “shee” is an evil fairy and should be feared while a “banshee” is the “queen bee” over all the fairies and she should terrify you as she wails before someone is about to die.
#2. Where did the sayings “he is a dead ringer “ or “saved by the bell”? These sayings trace back to a time in history when people where mistakenly buried alive and being afraid of burying a person alive- a small rope was buried with the dead and then the rope was attached to a bell above the gravestone so if some poor soul was buried alive they could grab the rope and ring the bell.
#3. Why would an Irishman sign up to become a soldier in the British army especially knowing the hard feelings that existed between the two countries? Many Irishman were left no choice during and after the potato famine, as they needed a job to survive. The British army also changed their rules and allowed Catholics to serve in the military, as they needed more men.
#4. Name one country that has been an alley for Ireland? Spain. At one point the Spanish came to help defend the Irish port city of Kinsale. The Spanish fought side by side the Irish.
#5. What is the significance of the name-WORKHOUSE, which was for the poor, starving men and women during the famine? Many of the wealthy and people in power felt that if the poor received a hand-out they would always be expecting a hand out and not work. At workhouses the poor would often be given jobs like building roads or walls around graveyards.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
